Support fob artificial teeth



Aug. 7, 1951 1.. PENTEL 2,563,416

SUPPORT FOR ARTIFICIA TEETH Filed June 2, 1948 1x1 EX TOR. LEON. 1 12mm Patented Aug. 7, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SUPPORT FOR ARTIFICIAL TEETH I ieon Pentel, New York, N. Y., assignor to Sol G. Teichman, New York, N. Y.

Application June 2, 1948, Serial No. 30,680

4 Claims.

This invention relates to artificial teeth, and more particularly to new and useful improvements for their attachment to interchangeable backings through the use of back plates.

Heretofore, certain interchangeable artificial teeth facings have been provided with slots which receive dowels attached to backings, which in turn are attached to the dental prosthesis. These teeth were made of porcelain, since it was impractical to utilize any other material. However, should the dowel be shorter than required or the porcelain facing ground too thin, a fracture or lack of retention of the facing inwardly resulted. Attempts to use plastic resins in a similar manner were likewise ineffectual, since efforts toattach the facing to the backing by means of the usual cementing medium resulted in a fracture. The resinous plastics, by virtue of their ability to deform and to absorb stresses will break awayfrom any cementing bond or agent. The only successful attempts to secure artificial teeth of plastic resinous material to dental prosthesis was accomplished by processing the resin directly onto an irregularly faced backing. In the event of fracture or damage, however, particularly in the case of a fixed bridge prosthesis*,-it was necessary to forcefully remove the prosthesisappliance-a hazardous procedure which often results in irreparable damage to the prosthesis and at times to the teeth to which the appliance was attached.

The present invention provides that a back plate with retention means, such as loops or headed legs, be precision fitted to the interchangeable backings upon which the plastic artificial tooth facing can be processed. With such a construction the cementing agent will bond a metal surface against a metal surface practically elimik nating loss of retention of the facing.

"The use of resinous plastics for artificial tooth facings will be possible in more cases which are not suited for the use of procelain (i. e. short bite cases where long facings are required). Finally, where such emergencies as replacement of the facing or fracture of the facing arise, replacement of the artificial tooth facing will be possible without removing the prosthesis from the mouth, as the back plates will be completely adaptable to any of the interchangeable back-. ing designs. Deformation of the plastic during masticatory function will now be a nominal factor since it is attached to a back plate which in turn cemented. The retention loops or headed legs will adequately deter actual fracture orlloss of retention of the plastic from the back- 2 ing plate. Since no stresses will be transferred to the cementing agent less frequent failure of the cement to retain the facing in place results.

More specifically, this invention relates particularly to the backing plate andits retention loops or headed legs, to which the plastic may beprocessed. The backing plate with the attached artificial tooth of resinous plastic material is designed to be attached by the usual cementing agent to the usual interchangeable backing support. l

The present'invention proposes providing the back face of a metal plate for an artificial tooth of resinous plastic material with a novel means for securely attaching the plate to the tooth and to the dowel of the facing so that the connections will be able to withstand normal chewing pressures and so' overcome theobjections. to the prior art constructions.

Still further, the present invention proposes providing the front or anterior face ofthe backing plate with one or more U-shaped retention loops and/or headed legs arranged in a manner to be molded into the materialof the artificial tooth of resinous plastic material to securely attach the backing plate to the tooth.

Another object of the invention. proposes attaching the U-shaped retention loops to 'the backing plate with its intermediate arm bridging the back face of the socket and with. its side arms directed toward and secured to the backing plate on opposite sides ofthe socket in a manner so'that the material of the artificial tooth may be completely molded around the u shapedretention loops. r 1" w Still another object of the presentinvention' proposes the provision-of ameans for securely attaching backingiplates to artificial teeth which can be used in connection with the. projecting dowels of the dental bridge or other support regardless of whether the dowels are vertically or horizontally arranged. 1

It is a further object of this invention to con struct a backingplate for an artificial toothof resinous plastic material which is simple and durable and which may be manufactured and sold at a reasonable cost. 1

For further comprehension of the invention," and of the objects and advantages thereof, refer ence will be had to the followingl description and accompanying drawings, and tothe appended claims in which the various novel features of-the' invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings: forming ama' terlal'part 'ofthis disclosurez v a lie-given in this specification-.

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a portion of a persons gum provided with a fixed dental bridge having artificial teeth secured thereto by means of metal backing plates and attached dowels constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1. v

Fig. 3 is agrear perspective view of one of the artificial 'teeth' provided with a metal backing plate in accordance with the present invention. I

Fig. 4-. is a partial perspective View of a portion of the dental bridge showing the projecting dowel similar support 24, as shown in Fig. 2. This interengagement of the projecting portion 23 with the receiving opening 26 of the socket 22 makes the connection of the backing plate 20 with the bridge or similar support 24 more rigid.

From Fig. 1 it will be noted that the ends of the dental bridge 24 are provided with the usual abutments, crowns or inlays 21 which are to be cemented ln position upon'the preparednatural teeth 28 of the mouth. Again, the method of mounting the dental bridge 24 in position in the mouth forms no part of this invention, and further details will not be included in this specification, as such details are generally known to those Skilled in the art.

The front face of the metal backing plate 20 is provided with means for securely attaching the Fig. 6 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view taken on the line 6-6 oi Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a front elevational view of a backing plat"ons'tructed in accordance with thepres venticnior use in connection with a back tooth:- "Fig. Bis'a side-elevational view of Fig. 7. F'ig. 9*is a further vertical sectional view taken cn 'the-line-9-9 of Fig. 1 showing a tooth arranged to be mounted on a horizontally disposed dowel o1 a' ad'ental' bridge and provided with-'a'metalback in plate "in accordance withthe present inven= ti'o'n.""-

Fig. 10 is a front perspective view of 'themeta'l backing" plate designed for use with the tooth shownin section in Fig.9. 1

FtgilI is a view similar to Fig; 5, but illustrate ing the metal pivotconst-ructed in accordance with 'a' iurther modification of the invention.

Fig. '12 is a sectional view of an artificial tooth of'resinous plastic material provided with a metal backing plate constructed. in accordance with a' further'modification of the invention.

".Fig'. 1-3 'is'a iront elevational view. of the metal backing; plate of the form of the invention shown inFigxIZ. -'Fig.'*14 'is'ia View similar to Fig. 12, but illustratingth'e metal backing plate constructed in accordance with Fa" still further modification of the invention. 1

The' metal backing plate of the present invention and in accordance with the first'form of the inventionsh'own in Figs. 1 to 6, includes a flat metal plate which is tofbe molded into the back' face of an artificialtooth 2|, see Fig.6.- The artificial tooth is formed of a resinous plass tic materi'ali- The metal plate 20 is 'fo-rmedwith a vertically arranged socket 22. As shown in Figs. 2 emai -the socket 22fi's adapted to be molded into the'material of the'artificial tooth 2 l and has its top'end open "to receive the projecting-dowel 23. of' a el'entalb'rid'ge or :si'milarrsupport 24. As is customaryin the field. a cement is to be used-for securing together theadjac'entiaces of-the socket 22 and the projecting dowel 23; however, the man nor of; securing together those parts iomlsno part of thisinvention and further details will not Erom :Fig, 2'it will be notedthat the socket 22 of the metal backing plate 20'1is open along the back face ofthe socket andformed withan upwardlyjextending lip 25 forming a receiving opening26 in the bottom portion of the socket 22. v The projecting dowel 2301: the dental bridge or similar'zsupport24 islfor-med with a downwardly pro jecting :portion23; see Fig. 4, which is adaptedto be received in theopening 26 when-the backing plate 20 is in position n the dental bridge or metal backing plate to the artificial tooth of resincus plastic material and to prevent the tooth from breaking loose from the metal backing plate under normal "chewing pressures after the artificial tooth has been mounted in the mouth."

The novel securing means of the present in vention comprises a pair of vertically spaced hor izoiitally arranged 'Ut-shaped retention loop's '29. These U-shaped retention loops 29 are formed-pf short ilengths "of wire bent into the desired- U shaped formation. The intermediate arms 29 6f the U -sha'ped retention 'loops'2 9 bridge the socket 2'2 which'project's from the front face of 'the 'metal backing plate 20 and the Tree ends'of "the slde arms 29 of the U shaped retentionloops are die; rected toward, and secured to theiback'faceof the metal backing plate 20" on" opposite sides of the socket 22. The arrangementof the shaped retention loops 29'is c'learlyshownin Figs:

"Fig. 2 of 1 the drawing clearly illustrates the manner inw-hich'the-U, -shaped retention loops 29 are embedded into the material of the "artificial tooth 2 I after the artificial tooth-has beenmold-s ed in t p si ion upon the i'm'etal. hacking plate? 20: It {is apparent that the "U r-shapedfreterition loops 29 serve'to, securely anchor the-artificial tooth 2| tO' t1-'1 metal backingplatej Zilrand make it im, possible, for theartificialtODthwZ L to break loose from the metal'backing-"cplate 20*unde'r normal chgwingpressure's when mounted in the mouth.

It is: preferred that the free 'endsa-of the side arms-29 of the U-shaped retentionwloops 29 be soldered to the adjacent face of the metal hack; ins -plate: 12w; however, the free ends of the side arms 28 may be secured to the metal plate any other desired manner. r s r In Figs. 7 and 8 of the drawing, there -is illus-:-; trated a metal backingvplalfie ill'ponstructed inaccordancewith a modificationpf theyinventio-nz: The: metall;aching plate2E1" of this-modification is similar tothatipreviously described except thatit is provided vwith a sl h end b tw en itst p and bottom edges, which-ad pts-thisbacking plate for use on an .artificiaitooth .of resinous plastic material which is to replace one or the, back teeth of thehu-man mouth p InFigs. 9 and 10 the present invention. isshown applied toa metal plate 20" attached te an artificiaLtooth 2i for mountingthe tooth 2| upon the ,projectingdowel-23fwhich is horizon-e tally disposed uponla top portion of the-;dental.

backing plate 20", see Fig. 10. The depending portion of the backing plate 20" is formed with a pair of spaced headed legs 30 which are adapted to be molded into the face of the artificial tooth 2|.

In other respects this form of the invention is similar to those previously described and like reference numerals identify like parts in each of the several views.

In the modification of the invention disclosed in Fig. 11 of the drawing, the front face of the metal backing plate 20 is provided with a single U-shaped retention loop 29.

Below the single retention loop 29, the metal backing plate 20 is formed with spaced legs 3| which have their outer ends 32 bent at right angles thereto to be molded into the material of the artificial tooth to assist the single retention loop 29 in securely attaching the metal backing plate 20 to the back face of the artificial tooth.

In other respects this form of the pivot is similar to that shown in Figs. 2 to 6 and like reference numerals identify like parts in each of the several views.

In the modification of the invention shown in Figs. 12 and 13, the metal backing plate 40 is round and formed at its center with a socket 4| circular in cross-section. Grouped about the circular socket 4| there are four anchor members in the form of retention loops 42, which are adapted to be molded into the back face of the artificial tooth 43 of resinous plastic material.

The dental bridge or other support 44 is formed with a slight recess 45 for receiving the metal back plate 40, and in Fig. 12, the recess 45 is illustrated as being of a depth corresponding to the thickness of the metal backing plate 40. Projecting from the dental bridge or other support 44 there is a dowel 46 which is to be received in the socket 4| of the metal backing plate 40. The dowel 46 is to be cemented in position within the socket 4| as described in connection with the previous forms of the invention.

In the modification of the invention shown in Fig. 14, the construction of the metal backing plate 40 is similar to that illustrated in Figs. 12 and 13, except that both the socket 4| of the backing plate 40 and the dowel 46 of the dental bridge or other support 44 are of a length to be fiush with the front face of the tooth 43.

In other respects this form of the invention is similar to that shown in Figs. 12 and 13 and like reference numerals identify like parts in each of the several views.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise constructions herein disclosed and the right is reserved to all changes and modifications coming within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. A backing plate for an artificial tooth, comprising a flat plate for attachment to the back of an artificial tooth of resinous plastic material and formed with a socket, and a plurality of loops mounted on the front face of the said plate and arranged in a circle concentric with said socket to be molded into the material of the artificial tooth for securely attaching said plate to the tooth, said socket being circular in crosssection.

2. A backing plate for an artificial tooth, comprising a fiat plate for attachment to the back of an artificial tooth of resinous plastic material and formed with a socket, and means on the front face of the said plate to be molded into the material of the artificial tooth for securely attaching said plate to the tooth, said socket being circular in cross-section, said socket being of a length to be flush with the face of the tooth, said securing means comprising a plurality of U- shaped loops grouped around said socket and mounted on the front face of said plate.

3. A backing plate for an artificial tooth, comprising a fiat plate for attachment to the back of an artificial tooth of resinous plastic material and formed with a socket, and means on the front face of the said plate to be molded into the material of the artificial tooth for securely attaching said plate to the tooth, said socket being circular in cross-section, said securing means comprising a plurality of retention loops grouped around said socket and mounted on the front face of said plate.

4. A backing plate for an artificial tooth, comprising a flat plate for attachment to the back of an artificial tooth of resinous plastic material and formed with a socket for the projecting dowel of a dental bridge or similar support, said socket being circular in cross-section and extended from the front face of said plate, and a plurality of anchor members mounted on the front face of said plate and grouped in a circle concentric with said socket to be molded into the material of the tooth for securely attaching the plate to the tooth.

LEON PENTEL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

V UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 

